Experience Québec
Getaway
Take the royal route
Those in a rush prefer the 40... it’s so much faster! Inquisitive folk, on the other hand, choose Highway 138 when they’re travelling between Montréal and Québec City! Why? For the pleasant jaunt-it’s the perfect blend of nature and history. Four hours to indulge in speaking in the royal we... or should we say the royal oui? Come on, it’s time to explore the King’s Road!
Popular memory would have that this road was built for the imminent visit of France’s King Louis XV. It was completed in 1737, making it one of the first driveable roads in North America. But alas, the King of France never did arrive, undoubtedly too busy with royal affairs... and Madame de Pompadour! In reality, this road was indispensable to the development of the colony. It became the overland counterpart to the only other possible route: the St. Lawrence River. More than two centuries would pass before a French head of state would travel the King’s Road.
In 1967, just before uttering his now-famous "Vive le Québec libre" (long live a free Québec), General De Gaulle, President of the Republic, soldier by training and veritable living legend of the 20th century, made his triumphant way along this route, entering Montréal much like he did Paris in 1945: like a king! So there, we’ve set the record straight!As the mighty river flows...
...so does time, and each season imbues the King’s Road with a different character. In the summer, the sky, the river and the land meld into one, like the three regions through which the royal route travels. Green and blue stretch as far as the eye can see. When fall arrives, the foliage lends this route a rakish air, with fiery reds, deep oranges and brilliant yellows colouring the landscape. The sun, now dipping lower on the horizon, casts a new light on familiar sights and lengthens the shadows in preparation for winter’s arrival.Once the snowy season drapes itself over the smaller rivers that feed the St. Lawrence, the surrounding countryside becomes a winter wonderland, dazzling in its new white mantle. Throughout the long winter nights, the Rivière Sainte-Anne comes aglow with the lights of hundreds of cozy homes inhabited by thousands of fishermen and their kin. A soft adventure that becomes all the more gentle with each passing kilometre, it reminds us that taking our time is a gift unto itself, one that is worthy of a king. And now, to help you find your way, the royal route is marked by tourism signs. We’ve thought of everything!
A window into Québec’s heritage
Highway 138 runs through the rich lands of the St. Lawrence Valley, the breadbasket of Québec. As you travel along the King’s Road, you’ll discover an impressive architectural heritage, with styles spanning the past three centuries, from the days of the French regime to the first signs of industrialism to present-day Québec, not to mention vestiges of the British conquest. The King’s Road is both a history book and a storybook eager to tell Québec’s tales. A soft adventure that becomes all the more gentle with each passing kilometre, it reminds us that taking our time is a gift unto itself, one that is worthy of a king. And now, to help you find your way, the royal route is marked by tourism signs. We’ve thought of everything!
Royalty has its privileges
Thanks to its heritage, this venerable road became one of the very first in Québec to be marked with signs as a suggested tourist route. Fittingly, the royal route is dotted with blue signs, but while blue may be the colour of the kings of France, in this case its use is purely coincidental!
These signs will point out must-see attractions to you. Museums, manors, ancestral homes, mills and parks cannot claim royal immunity, nor can they elude your historic and cultural invasions!
Tour seigneurial manors and uncover the secrets of the nobles... and of the peasants who lived on and worked the nobles’ lands. There’s no better way to learn about Québec’s history, from the French regime to the British conquest. You’ll see that this route was born of the labours performed by those who were dependent on the seigneury. This was a feudal system, with the lord holding all the rights and his underlings offering him steadfast devotion. To the manor born... if you were lucky
The first manor you’ll come across, if you’re setting out from Montréal, is the Manoir de Tonnancour (Trois-Rivières), built for René de Godefroy de Tonnancour, the lord of Lintôt, in 1723. Today it’s a gallery, and its illustrious walls exhibit current art created by local and other artists.
A very nice example of the architecture of New France (mid-17th century) is the Manoir Boucher de Niverville (168, Bonaventure St), now an office building that, unfortunately, is closed to visitors. On the bright side, the building was classified an historic monument in 1960.
A manor was always surrounded by a hamlet with a mill. You’ll see a prime example of "seigneurial urban planning" in the Portneuf region, in Deschambault. This quaint hamlet is home to a little gem of feudal life: the Moulin de la Chevrotière (mill). Interestingly, the Portneuf region once boasted more than 100 mills.The power of nature
Taking the King’s Road is also the best way to beat a formidable enemy: stress! Ensuring you enjoy non-stop contact with nature and the river, this route offers numerous access points to various parks. However, the undisputed crown jewel is Lac Saint-Pierre, which UNESCO has designated a Biosphere Reserve. Lac Saint-Pierre is a major component of the St. Lawrence ecosystem. Here you’ll find the largest freshwater floodplain in Québec. In the spring, floodwaters submerge over 7,000 hectares (17,300 acres) of natural grasslands, scrublands and riparian forests that are visited by more than 800,000 birds during the spring migration period, including snow geese, Canada geese and 5,000 herons that use the site as a breeding ground.
To get to the Parc de la rivière Bastican, you’ll have to travel about 20 km (12 mi.) off the King’s Road, but the detour is well worth it! You’ll be delighted by the diversity of outdoor activities you can practise at this marvellous little park, with its mountains, river, waterfalls and pools. Those who enjoy simply gliding along the river will be pleased by the two-km (about 1.2 mi.) calm section of the Rivière Batiscan. Not frightened by the idea of hurtling down a mountainside on a bicycle? Then you’ll be thrilled by the 25 km (16 mi.) of mountain biking trails. Exploring them could take you a good half-day, so you might want to plan to spend the night at the park, cosily seated around a campfire at one of the park’s five campgrounds. They sure didn’t skimp on space here in their efforts to ensure each campground maintains a wilderness atmosphere¿there are plenty of trees and lots of privacy between each site. So it’s no surprise that the park’s campground was awarded the bronze at the Grands Prix du tourisme 2004 gala (National Tourism Awards) in the Hébergement-Campings (camping accommodations) category. Here’s to dawdlers!
Nowadays¿the turn of the 21st century¿time is seen as a luxury. But things weren’t much different in the 17th century¿the King’s Road allowed travellers to save time and improve their quality of life. But to make the trip between Montréal and Québec City in just three and a half hours is a luxury no king would have ever dreamed of. Nevertheless, if you feel like being really idle, take the whole day! No one’s watching!
| Essential stops - addresses fit for a king |
Web sites for the three regions crossed by the King’s Road ARTS AND TRADITIONS
NATURE
TIME TO PARTY
Mauricie
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André Quenneville
2009-05-22
